Display space is scarce in retail stores and must be employed efficiently. The amount of products on display should be maximized, but with due consideration given to patron traffic and aesthetics. Also, sales items should be strategically displayed in an effort to increase sales of those items. By placing like or related products in close proximity to one another, the amount of effort that must be expended by the customer in order to obtain all that he desires is decreased, and the shopping experience is typically more enjoyable. It is common for certain retail spaces to be dedicated to the needs and desires of specific target consumers. This invention focuses on displaying lighter-than-air balloons efficiently and in a manner intended to increase sales.
A number of display consideration have frustrated the successful retail sales of lighter-than-air balloons. First, they must either be sold pre-filled with helium or sold unfilled, with means for their inflation being provided on site. Pre-filled balloons float and must therefore be tied down or weighted. They also take up more display space. Unfilled balloons are difficult to sell because they do not attract the eye as do balloons floating in the air, and, therefore, it is typically not apparent to the customer that such balloons are even available for purchase. Many retail stores find it unprofitable to present a product display dedicated to the sale of balloons. Whether they are sold prefilled or filled on site after purchase, lighter-than-air balloons must be weighted down to prevent their floating away, and, thus, balloons must be sold with balloon weights secured to them. In light of these considerations, a need exists for an improved method for presenting weighted-down, lighter-than-air balloons for retail sale, and also for presenting unfilled balloons to be sold and inflated on site.